Excellent TV, but beware of the early runs., March 30, 2010

The dirty little secret when buying consumer electronics is to not buy them when they first come out, because there are bound to be bugs and defects among the first units manufactured. The manufacture is bound to discover these problems, make the necessary correction(s), and the subsequent lots should not have the same issues. This Vizio model is no exception.

I too have had the audio problem, where the audio distorts after a set amount of time. When I went to exchange it, I made sure the replacement was from a different lot than the first, that way I am bound to get a unit that shouldn't have the same problems as what I had before. My new unit works perfectly. For reference my first unit was made on 11/09 and my new unit was made 02/10.

Vizio has also made several firmware updates between the two sets I tried out. The first TV had version 2.06 and the second 2.13. I have no idea what improvements were made, but it could relate to the audio problem.

What I like about this TV is that since it has a glass panel, the image resembles what a HD CRT would produce. It really smooths out the picture and gives a better image quality that a matte finished LCD panel can't deliver. A typical LCD TV can produce a sharp picture, but at the same time it looks a little hazy to me. You certainly can't get a glossy panel for a TV of that size anywhere that I know of. If you like the look that a CRT TV or a plasma gives you will probably like this TV. I am also surprised that Vizio was able to deliver a LED TV at this price point.

I also really like the styling of this TV. It has the appearance of a high-end TV, something like what Bang & Olafson would produce. An the fancy touch panel controls are a nice touch. I would like to purchase a 27" or 32" of this same style of set, but unfortunately Vizio only makes this style in in 19" & 23".

The sound, if you get a properly working unit, is quite good. It looks to me Vizio put a smaller version of their HD sound bar into this set, because the SRS Surround technology really expands the sound coming from the TV. I didn't find the sound to be "tinny" at all. As others had reported the sound quickly goes from silent to loud.

The remote control only has one IR emitter on it, so if you are fairly close to the TV you need to point it toward the IR receiver to work properly. If you stand back a few feet, then you should have less problems. You best bet is to use a universal remote control (like the one provided by your satellite of cable provider), because many of them have at least 2 IR emitters giving you a wider range for transmission.

This TV also features a light sensor that can automatically adjust the picture in relation to the light in the room. Be aware you can't use this feature at the same time as the 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio feature. For me the dynamic contrast ratio feature works better for me.

For some reason Vizio doesn't advertise the fact that you have the ability to pause live TV (like a DVR), if you plug in a flash drive on the back of the TV. This TV also can play a play a slide-show of pictures on a flash drive.

For those that already own this TV and are unhappy with it, I would encourage you to exchange it at the store of purchase or have Vizio replace it. No one should have to live with the defect(s) if Vizio corrected it in later runs.

**UPDATE: I have seen that several other retail outlets are no longer carry this product, it appears it is being replaced by a more conventional design, that lacks the glossy screen. If you are interested in this product, be sure to get it as soon as soon as possible.

**UPDATE 2: Vizio as released a firmware update for this product (version 2.23), if you are having problems with this prodcut, be sure to download it. It may correct your issue.
 

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Vizio vs. Sony vs. Samsung, January 4, 2010

Although I am not a videophile or audiophile I'd like to comment on this product.

To be honest, I purchased at the Cost** Warehouse store because of a $50 savings over Amazon, a 90 day no-questions-asked return policy and an extra year of manufacturer warranty included in the price. Since this is a new technology in this size set and sales usually come up on TV's around the Superbowl, it made sense to me to have the option of return if the price drops and to be protected by an additional year of warranty.

So far, I'm glad I have a 90 day return option because I just might have to take advantage of it regardless of any price movement. Unless there is something wrong with the set or we can't figure out what we are doing, the poor quality of the sound might necessitate it's return.

Having prior experience with a 19" Sony and a couple of 26" Samsung LCD sets I can report that the sound on this set is extremely poor compared to the others. So far, no matter what we do to adjust the sound it just does not perform. Using the SRS surround setting is just horrible. This set replaced an older Sony 720p LCD that had a simulated surround setting and it sounded fine. The other options you have include several pre-sets that do not allow for equalization adjustments if you choose them or the setting called 'flat' which does allow for setting the bass and treble. So as of this writing the best sound we can get from this set is to use the 'flat' setting and then turn the bass up to 100% and the treble at 60%. Using this setting the TV still sounds very 'tinny', like you are listening to a 2" speaker! If you turn down the treble any more it begins to sound muddy, and if you compensate by reducing the bass you get more tinny.

Aside from the sound (which may prove to be a deal breaker), the picture looks very good, on a par with my other Samsung sets. I think the size is very nice, the old Sony was 19" and this makes a nice difference giving you more screen area than the 20 or 22 inch alternatives. The form factor is very sleek, the remote is poor (but we use a combo cable remote anyway). We do not connect directly to cable so I can't comment on 'channel lag' as has been reported but can tell you it takes an annoyingly long time to start up, making you watch a 'vizio' splash screen, then a blue screen, then finally your picture.

If you have a very bright room, be aware that there is the potential for a lot of glare from the reflective glass surface of this set and that may be a deal breaker for you because there is a lot of reflection from some angles. If you can train yourself to look through it you might be fine.

So in summary, we are happy with the picture and performance of the set overall, but if we can't find a solution to the sound problem the set just may go back. I will update this review if there is any news to report.

UPDATE June 21, 2010:

It's been about 5 months since we hooked up a set of speakers Altec Lansing BXR1221 2.1 Speaker System (Black)to this set and the sound problems are mostly gone. I say mostly because once in a while the sound is garbled and we need to shut off the TV and turn it back on again for the problem to clear. Changing channels or inputs does not work, it must be powered down.

The only other issue is the fact that the remote must be pointed at the sweet spot and at the right angle otherwise it does not respond.

So if you can live with the fact that you might need a set of speakers to overcome the sound problems and the slight aggravation of the remote responsiveness then go for it because the picture and form factor of the set are outstanding.